Sailing
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Position: 36 10.18 S 175 20.00 E Kate had managed to sort her truck out yesterday as well as getting in last minute provisions so this morning we were pretty much ready to go. The initial plan was to motor out of the Hatea River and into Whangarei Harbour then have a bit of a shake down sail and finish the day anchoring somewhere near the Heads ready for departure tomorrow. However, things went better than expected and we found ourselves at the Heads around 1000 with a pleasant SW breeze, just perfect for continuing on to Great Barrier Island. Given that the wind was forecast to go light for the next few days it seemed a good idea simply to keep on going. After a quick consultation with all concerned, including the ship’s cat, unanimous agreement was reached. It took a few short tacks to clear the entrance of Whangarei Harbour and a little after 1100 we cleared Busby Head and settled down on a close starboard reach with our destination 40 miles ahead. We enjoyed a pleasant sail in the sunshine and light breeze for about four hours when, as forecast, the wind started to ease. Wanting to get to anchor by nightfall and also thinking it was a good opportunity to give the engine a bit of a run after eight months sitting idle, we flashed up the BRM, connected the tiller pilot, disconnect the wind vane self-steering, handed headsails and continued chugging ESE. At 1910 we entered Overlook Cove on the north side of Kaikoura Island where we dropped anchor in nine meters of water some 150 meters off the rocky beach. Tomorrow morning we will motor around the corner into Port Fitzroy where we will look for a nice sheltered anchorage where we can complete a little bit of painting on deck. It sure feels good to be sailing again.
All is well. |
